


how he said 'i love you'

by elleskandal



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Fluff, I Love You, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:53:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28457127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elleskandal/pseuds/elleskandal
Summary: Keiji takes to sleeping in Koutarou's bed even when he's not around.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 16
Kudos: 78





	how he said 'i love you'

Keiji tended to sleep his best when he wasn’t in his own bed. It was for this reason and this reason alone that he slept in someone else’s bed that particular night. The bed of the man he’d been in love with for as long as he could remember love. The bed of the man he’d only begun officially dating a few months ago after dancing around each other for quite some time — Bokuto Koutarou. Koutarou wasn’t even always there. Often times he had business trips, traveling the country playing volleyball. A few days here, a few days there. Keiji never knew when he was coming or going. All he knew was that he felt the most at home as he’s ever been whenever he was in Koutarou’s bed, regardless of whether he was there or not. 

Koutarou woke Keiji when he arrived back to his room the following morning at 7:30 AM. He spouted quick words of how he had a safe flight and that he was surprised to see Keiji in his bed. After a late night at the neighbors’ cramming for an exam, Keiji decided to crash there — it was just easier, and he slept better. It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting to be closer to Koutarou, his smell, his being, his everything. Before he could get that explanation through his lips, Koutarou pounced into bed, mattress bouncing, to pepper his boyfriend with kisses. He covered Keiji all over — his forehead, cheeks, nose, lips, jawline, neck. A wide grin pulled at his face and his golden eyes sparkled with anticipation. 

He still had his MSBY hat on, but removed it and ran a hand through his grey and black locks, showing off a haircut he knew Keiji had wanted him to get. His hair had been getting untenably long, and with the way Koutarou liked to style it, it was beginning to look downright silly— like a shonen manga villain. But now, it was cut shorter and ungelled. It flopped over to one side, and  _ oh _ , it was soft. 

Keiji’s eyes swept the icy looking strands and settled on Koutarou’s face, where his eyebrows arched in curiosity. This haircut was for Keiji, he realized. Excitement bubbled within him, as he bit his lip and smiled, taking in the rest of the face in front of him. Electricity. 

He cupped Kou’s face, pulling him in for a kiss. His heart ached as Koutarou deepened it immediately, a pulsing in his chest that was hard to ignore. 

“Do you like it?” Koutarou questioned in between bites to Keiji’s bottom lip. Keiji could feel him smiling against his cheek as his hot breath seared against his ear. Koutarou knew he liked it. He just wanted it said aloud. He got off on the affirmation. 

“It looks really good.” Keiji squirmed as Koutarou nibbled at his ears and hummed at the compliment. “I like it a lot.”

Koutarou moaned in response, always one to love the praise. Keiji never gave it unfounded though or it would lose its appeal — Koutarou knew that. That’s why it was always so powerful whenever he received it. 

Just that one compliment had Koutarou pulling Keiji closer, wrapping his strong arms around his boyfriend tighter. Keiji felt safe and happy like he was wrapped in a warm blanket, but he also felt something pressing against his leg. Something hard. 

Keiji wasn’t normally a fan of morning sex, especially after a long night of studying, but he made exceptions. When Koutarou looked like this — sun cascading through the blinds, catching his silver locks, locks he had cut for Keiji — it was hard to say no. He stared in awe at the beautiful man now hovering over him pulling off his shirt, dust motes playfully flitting through the air, framing him just right.  _ How did I get so lucky?  _

The sex was slow and delicate. Like Koutarou wanted to take his time enjoying every aspect of Keiji. Savor every moment. They held each other’s gaze as they came, and Keiji couldn’t remember ever having had sex like this before. It was dream-like; he felt like he was floating, like he was being caressed and held and lifted up all at the same time, and brought to this plane of existence he never knew existed. 

When it was over, they held each other, skin buzzing and eyes closed until Koutarou mustered up the strength a minute later to whisper, “I have to get ready for work.” 

Keiji groaned. “Do you have to? You just got back from a game. They’re making you work again right away? Monsters.” 

“It’s not the Black Jackals. It’s national team training. You knew I’d have to balance the two.” This response elicited a sigh from Keiji, but he understood and gave his partner a kiss on the cheek to show he acknowledged and acquiesced. 

He hated that he got to see him so little between Kou’s two jobs, his own job, as well as the classes he’s taking to get his Masters. He had hoped, in the very least, that they’d be able to hold each other and cuddle just a little bit. To go to work so soon after such intimacy was… well, a letdown. But he understood. He just laid in bed and stared at the ceiling as Koutarou got up to get ready. 

After brushing his teeth and shaving, Koutarou returned to his room to grab his keys from the nightstand. Sitting on the bed, he leaned in to say goodbye to Keiji, peppering him again with kisses as he had upon arrival. 

“I’m never going to get to work,” he said in between pecks sarcastically. 

“Skip it then.”

“You know I can’t.” He smirked, kissing Keiji’s face with more ferocity. He pulled away eventually, his own cheeks flushed. Looking into Keiji’s gunmetal blue eyes, he spoke with steadfast certainty as if this was something he had been thinking about for a while, something he had been working the courage up to say, “I love you.” 

Keiji was speechless. A second before Koutarou had said it, Keiji could see it in his eyes. He knew it was the truth. From every little action, from the haircut to the way he was held and how they had sex—no,  _ made love _ — he knew he was loved. He felt loved. Now, he knew that he was loved, really, actually, truly loved. 

It took him a beat to digest it all. “I love you too,” he eventually responded. He was filled with shock, relief, excitement. Keiji pulled him into another kiss, one of many future kisses, that lasted for what seemed like an eternity as they basked in their newly enunciated adoration, sweet and softly passionate. 

Koutarou pulled away. “I have to go.”

“Okay.” Keiji smiled weakly, feeling like his insides had been mixed in a food processor. He was having a hard time holding it all together but didn’t want to fall apart in front of Koutarou. 

After a quick kiss and a goodbye, Keiji pulled the covers up to his chin and tears welled in his eyes. Hot joy stained his face for the first time. He’d never cried out of happiness before. It felt cinematic and cliche, but he couldn’t stop it. A smile spread across his face as he wiped the tears away. 

It was perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> I came across an old journal the other day with an entry about how my ex said 'I love you' to me when we dated in college. This was inspired by that. 
> 
> Follow me on [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/elleskandal) or [tweet about](https://twitter.com/elleskandal/status/1344704166439038981) this fic.


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